PSC grants CPCN to Badger Hollow Wind with conditions, citing robust record and PSC 128 compliance

The Public Service Commission of Wisconsin voted Sept. 25, 2025, to grant a certificate of public convenience and necessity to Badger Hollow Wind LLC for a wind energy facility of up to 118 megawatts, subject to standard commission conditions and multiple project‑specific requirements.

Commissioner Ted Hawkins, who led the discussion, said the record was robust and that the application met statutory and rule‑based siting criteria. “I will be voting in support of granting the CPCN,” he said during the meeting, summarizing the staff analyses, intervenor testimony and environmental assessments that informed the decision.

Why this matters: the project lies in a largely agricultural area spanning towns in Iowa and Grant counties and proposes up to 19 turbine sites, underground collection circuits, a collector substation and a short generator tie line. Because the facility exceeds 100 MW, it requires PSC review rather than local-only permitting; wind projects are also reviewed under the state’s wind‑siting rules (PSC 128), which govern setbacks, noise, shadow flicker and decommissioning planning.

Key findings and conditions - Siting and environmental review: commissioners concluded the siting met Wis. Stat.…